Fiber optic cables are used in the telecommunication industry to transmit light signals in high-speed data and communication systems. A standard fiber optic cable includes a fiber with an inner light transporting optical core. Surrounding the fiber is an outer protective cladding.
A fiber terminates at a fiber optic connector. Connectors are frequently used to non-permanently connect and disconnect optical elements in a fiber optic transmission system. There are many different fiber optic connector types. Some of the more common connectors are LC, FC, and SC connectors. Other types of connectors include MTRJ, MPEO, LX.5, ST, and D4-type connectors.
Fiber optic connectors can be terminated at fiber optic connection panels, which connect various pieces of fiber optic equipment. The fiber optic connection panels include ports for connecting to fiber optic connectors, to link the equipment. Various functions are useful in the fiber optic connection panels. One function is monitoring of the signal pathways. Another useful function is switching between equipment if a need arises without having to reconnect the equipment cables.